Platforms converge into entertainment OS as AI unifies formats
Major services are quietly assembling music, video, podcasts and games into single AI driven apps. Expect personalized discovery and new pressure on creators and advertisers.
In leading entertainment platforms, a common development vector is gradually taking shape: instead of competing for a single content format, they strive to become a universal app by default, open at any moment for any content format. This has become possible thanks to innovations in artificial intelligence that enable uniting diverse media types – from music to video, podcasts, books, and games – into a single ‘home’ platform.
Existing trends suggest that the entertainment market is reaching maturity: growth is slowing, and companies compete for the time users devote to the app, and for revenue per user. Content creators are also increasingly working across multiple formats, so it makes sense to offer a single convenient environment for all their material.
An additional motivation comes from artificial intelligence: it eases creation and management of diverse formats, and the rich array of content increases session duration, boosting advertising revenue and subscription levels.
Netflix clearly demonstrates this trend: the service expands capabilities by adding games, live sports events and other activities, as well as short video clips and podcasts. The goal is to capture a larger share of users’ time even when there isn’t a specific movie or series, filling the gaps between activities on other platforms.
Spotify extends its role beyond music: video podcasts, social features, stories, messenger, and various content formats – from fitness classes to audiobooks, magazine publications, and even the sale of physical books – have emerged.
AI as the foundation of the future entertainment OS
YouTube expands capabilities: from long-form, the platform moves toward short-form videos, podcasts, gaming content, music, movies, sports, and news, as well as shopping and live streams. Now you can watch movies and series with ads, view live streams, rent or buy content to replenish your library, and over time the integration of YouTube TV and YouTube Music into a single package becomes more attainable.
TikTok is also evolving into longer formats: the platform supports travel and planning, shopping, local discovery, tickets to live events, and separate apps for micro-dramas and sports events – notably TikTok Pro Events for major tournaments and festivals.
Ultimately the trend is convergence: each player gains elements of music, video, podcasts, books and games, with the main value lying in giving users access to all formats of content through a single platform.
As part of this evolution, AI acts as a driver of convenience and personalization. It eases personalization of recommendations and at the same time allows users to interact with the system in a more direct way – through conversational tools and interactive playlists created around interests.
Specifically, Spotify is testing tools to edit Taste Profile and interact with AI in shaping playlists not only from music but from other content. Netflix is also moving in this direction: company leaders spoke about improving personalization through new model architectures and a faster iteration cycle in content development. On YouTube, generative AI is used to create creator tools, improve search, launch recommendations, and expand content reach through automatic dubbing and other capabilities. The company also emphasizes the role of Gemini as a content-search tool powered by AI.
As part of this evolution, AI also finds application in advertising packages: it is used for composing ads, targeting audiences, pricing, and measuring campaign results, strengthening monetization opportunities for all players.
Ultimately, competition focuses not only on format, but on which platform becomes the universal entertainment hub – a place where users come to watch videos, listen to music, read and shop, play and plan trips, regardless of what content is available at the moment.
- VC Chi Hua Chien explains why future AI leaders will focus on personalized live experiences rather than commoditizing models, and how trust, pricing, and data shape consumer products and investments.
